The Physical Activity for Chronic Pain Management research team came together to determine an effective way to help adults learn the skills to be more physically active in order to better manage their chronic pain. Despite physical activity being an essential element of chronic pain management, most adults are not regularly active. Through various funding sources (e.g., Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, Community Initiatives Fund), the team learned that exercise professionals, including fitness class instructors and personal trainers, are key supports who people with chronic pain look to for help learning the skills needed to be physically active. Yet, certified exercise professionals do not receive any training to work with people with chronic pain during their certification or continuing education opportunities. The goal of the team’s research is to develop an effective chronic pain and physical activity training workshop for exercise professionals. A pilot training workshop has been found to be effective in improving exercise professionals’ knowledge and beliefs about chronic pain as well as increasing their confidence to instruct and educate their participants living with chronic pain. In addition, an assortment of tools has been developed specifically for participants who experience chronic pain to assist them with their goal of maintaining physical activity (see the Chronic Pain and Exercise Fact Sheet for an example). The long-term goal is for exercise professional certification organizations to adopt and deliver this training workshop in order to help adults be regularly active and better manage their chronic pain.

If you wish to receive further information, please contact the principal investigators, Dr. Nancy Gyurcsik, College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, nancy.gyurcsik@usask.ca or Dr. Susan Tupper, Saskatchewan Health Authority, susan.tupper@saskhealthauthority.ca

Other current team members include Dr. Danielle Brittain, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, and Don Ratcliffe-Smith, Physical Activity Consultant, Saskatoon.

Visit our Facebook profile
Chronic Pain and Exercise Fact Sheet